


fr ■3K3T 






^^^3? 






^<^9L 









rnarfev : «s 






SKK*^3t£>- 












"3T ~_3» 

V 

&■■■ ::---^-^ 






LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. S 

i UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, t 

1 



THE MISSIONARY 



EMPLOYED BY 



^pfai € 0nferi-Pnnting pwrate, 



RIDING ON A 



BEASTLY CROWING ROOSTER 




BY JOSEPH' SIMPSON, 

A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES, 

» f THE HEBREW CONFESSION. * 



PRINTED BY HANZSCHE & BRO„ 212 BALTIMORE STREET, 






Entered according to an Act of Congress, in the year 1853, 

By JOSEPH SIMPSON, 

In the Clerks Office, of the District Court of the United States, 
in and for tlie State of Maryland. 



KIND READER! 

In submitting my honest thoughts to your con- 
sideration, permit me to assure you, that I am not in- 
consistent enough, as a Citizen of the United States, to 
stoop to notice a strolling Missionary poulterer, and 
neither am I so conceited to presume, that my Hebrew 
brethren, particularly as a class of American Citizens, 
are in need that an humble individual, such as I am, 
should defend and protect them; but as a fellow citizen 
of yours, prompted by a sense of duty, I most respect- 
fully call your attention to a subject, which I honestly 
conceive to require attention. 

The Author. 






C|e |p»wg $mp §mt 



The following advertisement appeared on the very tip- 
top of the first column of the "Baltimore Clipper," on 
Tuesday, the 11th of October last, (the day preceding 
the Hebrew religious day of Atonement,) entitled: "the 
Jewish Ceremonies of to-day !" communicated to said 
paper, by some obscure scribbler, who did not sign his 
name, to enable the generous American public to have 
the pleasure of expressing their thanks to their great 
benefactor. He merely exhibits that the bottom of his 
private concern is marked L. C. N. 

A TRUE COPY. 

For the Baltimore Clipper. — The Jewish Ceremonies of to-day. 

"Messrs. Editors: — Knowing that many readers of the Clipper will be 
pleased to get some general information concerning the day of Atonement, 
commonly called Tom Kippur, I beg to supply for their perusal a short 
sketch of its celebration. 

"The fast of Expiation is the most solemn day of the Jewish year. The 
pious as well as those who during the whole year care but little for reli- 
gion, all, all look upon the advent of that day with uncommon feelings of 
awe and veneration, all business operations are suspended ; even those who 
never close their stores on any of the feasts and fasts, shut them up on that 
day. The Jews believe it to be the great assize day in Heaven ; the need of 
actual atonement is most keenly felt, and in consequence of which a custom 
arose among the widely scattered tribes, to bring some kind of sacrifice on 
the day preceding the day of atonement. Each male member of a pious 
family takes a cock, and a female a hen, repeating the 10th, 14th, nth and 
21st verses CVII Psalm, and 23d and 24th verses of the XXXIII of Job, 
adding at the commencement the words "children of men," after having re- 
peated this formula, he moveth the bird three times round his head, saying : 
"may this be my atonement, may this be my substitute, may this be my 
commutation, this (here follow the various alterations; if the atonement is 
made for a male member, the words are this cock — for a female this hen,) 
goeth to death, that I may be gathered and enter into a long and happy 
life, and into peace." 

" I do not pretend to give a correct description of all the ceremonies, for 
this will be beyond the limits of one article, nor must I be understood either 
to endorse or attack the ceremonies, I simply state the facts for the informa- 
tion of your numerous readers. 

" On the same day the atonement is made, every pious Jew goeth (about 
noon) to the Synagogue and receives, of his own accord, forty stripes 
save one. 



"The actual fast commences this year, Thursday evening, October 11th, 
about five o'clock, and lasts until Wednesday, when the starlight can be 
discerned with the naked eye. The whole time is spent in prayers, without 
partaking of any nourishment whatever. Not one single drop of cold water 
is allowed. All the married male worshippers are dressed in snow white 
garments, in their burial dress, given to them as a present by their faithful 
spouses on the marriage-day. 

"The next striking (to a stranger) features of their services are the plain- 
tive chant; they chant all their prayers. Together with repeated strokes 
upon their breasts, like the publican of old. " Have mercy upon me, a mis- 
erable sinner." Every worshipper gives himself no less than six hundred 
and fourteen strokes. This estimate is rather below the real number, and 
doth not include the thirty-nine stripes. 

"I regret that I cannot enter more fully into the character of their reli- 
gious services, they are unparalled in beauty and pathos, and some of their 
prayers descriptive of their captive state and longing for deliverance, are 
most plaintive and affecting. 

"The Synagogues are open from Tuesday until Wednesday evening. 
Every one who behaves himself with decorum, is permitted to enter and 
witness the services. The ladies must go up to the galleries, the gentlemen 
to the body of the Synagogue ; to those who desire to visit it, 1 should re- 
commend half-past five o'clock, Tuesday evening, and between one, two and 
four o'clock, Wednesday evening. 

L. C. N." 

This is now the grand and magnificent job, highly fin- 
ished and masterly accomplished, by this extra superfine 
great expounder of Hebrew national religious ideas, and 
the motives and intentions of their religious forms and 
ceremonies ; and all this toilsome work he performed 
purely to delight and enlighten the numerous readers of 
the "Baltimore Clipper/' because he has decided that they 
must be pleased with its perusal. 

Let us now examine the contents of this most delicious 
dish, so gracefully presented by this most refined master 
of ceremonies. 

L. C. N. in addressing himself to the editors of the 
" Clipper/' commences his epistle, saying : "Knowing that 
many readers of the Clipper will be pleased to get some 
general information, concerning the day of atonement, 
commonly called l Yom Kippur,' I beg to supply for their 
perusal a short sketch of its celebration." 

Pray, by what means has he discovered that many 
readers of the Clipper will be pleased to receive informa- 
tion, and from him ? And supposing even that some of 
our Christian fellow citizens should wish to be informed, 
can they not find amongst their fellow citizens Jews 
enough to be informed by them ? Are the Jews such ob- 
scure people, or quite a new started sect ? Do they close 
the doors of their Synagogues or private dwellings, not 
to permit Christians to visit them ? Are they so unsocial 
that Christians cannot visit them ? To .be sure, the Jew 



prudently declines to converse with such unmannerly 
fellows, who are vulgar enough to violate the just rules of 
social decency, and who are so rude to tell him to his face 
that there is no salvation to his soul, "because he is a Jew ! 
In plain words : " That he must go to h — \" Those, who 
desire that the Jew should please them in this line, ought 
at least to he sufficiently polite to add to it, "if you 
please," hecause there is no compulsion in the case. But 
in a friendly social manner the Jew will cheerfully con- 
verse with the Christian, or any one else, without any re- 
serve, and where he differs, he differs honestly without im- 
peaching the intelligence and virtue of those he differs 
with ; and therefore if some of our Christian friends wish to 
be informed, they can quite easily find their Hebrew fel- 
low-citizens to render them this most important service, 
and there is no need for any foreign emissary, or some 
strolling idler who makes a vulgar trade of it, to med- 
dle with it. 

Let us now investigate the bottomless depth of the 
extraordinary scholarship of this unnatural genius ! After 
making some unimportant flounces, he proceeds and in a 
most profound sonorous voice emphatically bursts out 
and exclaims : " the Jews believe it to be the great assize 
day in Heaven, the need of an actual atonement is keenly- 
felt, and in consequence of which a custom arose among 
the widely scattered tribes, to bring some kind of sacri- 
fice on the day preceding the day of atonement. " 

Now permit me candidly to remark, that this state- 
ment of his is playing the grossest deception on the 
Christian mind, in attempting to make them believe 
that the Jew keenly feels the need of Sacrifice for actual 
atonement. 

We must bear in mind, that sacrifice is made local by 
law, Lev. ch. 17, v. 4, 5, 7, namely, only at the national 
sanctuary, where sacrifices can be offered, but nowhere 
else, and the law also specifies what is admissible as a 
sacrifice. The very fact that the law makes it local, must 
prove to any reflecting mind, that it is not needed for ac- 
tual atonement. To ascertain the true motive and inten- 
tion of the institution of sacrifice, can only be done by 
ascertaining the surrounding circumstances which have 
called it into existence. One thing we see quite explicit- 
ly by the law itself, namely, that it -is intended to ope- 
rate upon the mind as a negative against the mistakes 
and errors of those who surrounded them; and being 



- 8. 

called in existence by circumstances, it must be subject 
to circumstances also ; but not that it is needed for actual 
atonement, and any intelligent being who reads the old 
Testament, will find it repeated over and over again that 
sacrifice is not required for actual atonement. 

Let us now take into consideration how L. C. N. as a 
most accomplished astrological state-moral-economist, 
succeeds with his laborious job. 

In his violent rage for sacrifice he sacrifices every par- 
ticle of common sense, and up he jumps and saddles the 
cock, as he quite politely calls it, and mounts his hen- 
story, alleging that it is religiously intended by the Jew 
as a sacrifice for actual atonement. It seems that L. C. 
K. feels his own high importance and acts the part of 
Chief Judge of the Supreme Court of the Hebrew Nation, 
and boldly decides that each member of a pious family 
takes a cock, &c, only because his honor the Chief Judge 
maintains the Jew cannot possibly be pious without the 
use of such instrument. 

Let us consider whether the Jew can be guilty of mis- 
using the poor chicken for such a purpose. Firstly, he 
would violate the law which makes sacrifice local ; second- 
ly, he would violate the law which specifies the animals 
admissible as sacrifice ; excluding those not mentioned, 
and Moses does not say a single word about cock and 
hen ; thirdly, if the Jew should intend it as a sacrifice 
for actual atonement, he ought to do it on the day of 
atonement, and not on the day preceding it ; and lastly, 
what shall the poor man do who unfortunately has not 
the means to procure a rooster for himself and a hen for 
his poor wife ? What ! shall these poor folks actually run 
about all their life-time with their heavy burden of sin, 
and never be able to get rid of it ? How monstrous ! 

But what is the actual fact ? The day preceding the 
fast is observed as a feast, surely not for the purpose of 
being a glutton, but for the sake of the poor who might 
not have the means to procure a proper meal, to be able 
to observe the fast without hurting themselves, or to 
breakfast after they observe it. For this noble purpose 
it is truly intended, and the Jew, justly guided by his 
national moral sense of duty, lending his brotherly hand 
to his needy fellow-man, particularly when the poor as 
well as the rich approach the Supreme with a national 
religious sentiment. Under such circumstances he is 
particularly careful, not to do it in a mean, scanty man- 



9 

ner, but provides the best he is able to procure, and de- 
cently tenders it to his needy friend. 

In consequence of this a custom arose, (in some parts 
and by some,) to procure poultry to feast the poor and 
needy with, but not, as the obscure scribbler presumes to 
represent, as a sacrifice for actual atonement. It is a 
fact that it is a general custom among the Jews, to take 
proper care of the poor, but it is false that cock and hen 
is a general custom. Any one who knows any thing 
about Hebrew learned authorities will soon find, that 
some decidedly prohibit this custom, apprehending that 
some might be guilty of the gross error to misconstrue it 
as a sacrifice for atonement, which would actually be a 
violation of law and national principle on different points, 
and those authorities who permit this custom, because 
apprehending, by prohibiting it, some of the poor might 
suffer, only permit it, providing that either the bird or 
at least its full value, is actually given to the poor. 

But it appears that this most learned poulterer has 
procured all his Hebrew learning from his grand mam- 
ma's old prayer book, and which she, poor old creature, 
has borrowed from her one-eyed step-mother-in-law, and 
there he made the grand discovery that a printer has ac- 
tually printed, and his granny he remembers has actual- 
ly turned the chicken around her noddle, and actually 
exclaimed, may this be my atonement, &c, and there- 
fore he assumes to prove by this powerful evidence, and 
quite conclusively, that tlie poor chick must necessarily 
be a sacrifice for actual atonement. 

I beg leave most respectfully to differ with this most 
learned poultry judge, and am firmly of opinion, that 
even the most intelligent Jew, true to his national prin- 
ciple, if he chooses to observe said custom, can safely use 
these words without contradicting himself, because it is 
not intended that this bird, but the charitable act to be 
performed by giving it to the poor, shall have anything 
to do with the day of atonement. 

But it seems that this most profound rooster-scholar is 
so strongly attached to the cock, that he cannot forsake 
the poor thing, and is determined to ride on the cock to 
Eternity ! 

The learned equestrian concludes his cock and hen sto- 
ry, by reading further in his grand-dame's old prayer 
book, and falsifies it by adding to it his absurd com- 
ment: "If the atonetmrnt is made for a male member, the 

1* 



10 

words are, this cock, if for a female, this hen, goeth to 
d.eath, but may I be gathered and enter into a long and 
happy life and into peace." 

The most profound scholar of a jockey presumes to 
have won the race, and his swift-winged rooster must 
conclusively be the most acceptable sacrifice for actual 
atonement. 

With all due regard to the superfine judgment of this 
want-to-be-Judge in Israel, I feel inclined to differ, and 
maintain, that these words are intended for quite a dif- 
ferent purpose, namely, at a moment of religious con- 
templation leading the mind to eternity, and in the mean 
time intending to have the life of an animal taken to be 
used as food, those words are justly intended to restrain 
the. mind, and to guard it against those truly dangerous 
and most corrupting wild speculations of Transmigra- 
tion of souls, by which visionary ideas they drag down 
ike immortal soul of man to the level of the mere spirit 
g£ life of the brute, brutalizing their own mind by 
their brutal speculation. By such notions some one 
might be converted to a beastly crowing rooster, specu- 
lating that some silly goose or gander will lay a right 
big golden egg in his lap. For the purpose of guarding 
against such an error, those words are very properly in- 
tended for those who think proper to observe said cus- 
tom, to remind them that the spirit of life of the mere 
brute goeth to death, but the soul of man in the image of 
hi« Maker is immortal. 

But it seems that the eminent riding master of cere- 
monies has run himself out of breath, and settled down 
on some fence-post to contemplate on his own high im- 
portance. In this elevated position he condescends to 
be kind enough to inform the many readers of the u Balti- 
more Clipper," that he doeth not pretend to give a correct 
description of all the ceremonies. 

Now it seems to me, as a citizen of the United States, 
that this chicken-rider is to be properly corrected before 
he presumes to give any information to others about the 
religious motives and intentions of a class of American 
citizens, and of which to say the least of it, he is beastly 
ignorant of; he assigns the reason, because it would be 
beyond the limits of one article. 

Pray, has his ignorance of the subject he rudely med- 
dles with any bounds or limits ? And the most charming 
part of it is his modesty in his gravely saying, "I must 



11 

not be understood either to endorse or attack these oere- 
monies. " Now, supposing he would endorse or attack, 
what then ? But he maintains that he is simply stating 
the facts for the information of the numerous readers of 
said paper. And what is the actual fact, than that 
he is riding on a rooster to eternity ? And although he 
asserted that he cannot go beyond the limits of one ar- 
ticle, he proceeds with another fact of his own fabrica- 
tion, and though the fact is that it is the day preceding 
the day of atonement, Mr. Factotum states, " On the same 
day the atonement is made, every pious Jew goeth about noon 
(you see he is very particular about the time in his in- 
formation to the many readers of the " Baltimore Clipper," 
and they are to be careful and regulate their watches 
and time-pieces accordingly) to the Synagogue and re- 
ceives on his own accord, (now mind, you readers of the 
"Baltimore Clipper") 40, say forty stripes save one." Now 
supposing that some pious Jew should express his contri- 
tion of mind in such a manner, will he dare to find fault 
with those who think proper not to perform it ? you may 
depend upon it, if he should receive a stripe harder than 
his religious feeling expects, he will soon jump up and 
dispense with it, and there is no need for any one to be 
uneasy about it. But according to the sublime doctrine 
of L. C. N., as a self made Chief Judge in Israel, who 
maintains that the pious Jew is bound to use the cock as 
a sacrifice for actual atonement, the rascally cock ought 
to receive the stripes, and not the pious Jew who has al- 
ready made atonement by sacrifice. But here we see ex- 
plicitly the superior judgment of the economical judge ! 
He cannot afford to have the cock scourged so hard, be- 
cause he is in need to ride on him to Eternity. 

The kind-hearted, most learned master of ceremonies 
after settling the moft important business of the cock 
and hen, and the terrible forty stripes save one y proceeds: 
" The actual fast commences this year Tuesday, October 
the 11th, about five o'clock, and lasts until Wednesday, 
when the starlight can be discerned with the naked eye. >y 

Now supposing it is cloudy, they have to wait until 
the sky becomes clear before they can breakfast. Poor 
fellows ! 

The astronomical, most learned manufacturer of facts, 
after gazing at the stars and making the grand discovery, 
that the Jews did not partake even of a single drop of 
cold water, in the kindness of his so called heart, which 



12 

to some may appear to overflow with milk and honey, 
proceeds to inform the many readers of the " Baltimore 
Clipper/' that all the married male worshippers are dress- 
ed in snow-white garments — in their burial dress — given 
to them as a present by their faithful spouses on the 
marriage-day. 

We must take notice that the most learned dressmaker 
is very particular here, and undoubtedly intentionally 
omits the word pious, because it is the married Jew as a 
good husband showing his respect to his faithful spouse. 
But we must now take into consideration in what a dilem- 
ma poor Solomon must have been on the day of atone- 
ment with his thousand wives, each of them on the mar- 
riage day presenting him such a dress, and he, as a good 
husband, undoubtedly showed his respect to each and 
every one of them, and naturally put on all those dresses 
to please them all. 

Let us now reflect what a charming figure the wise 
Solomon must have made on the day of atonement ! But 
we must not blame L. C. N. for feeling the need of a bu- 
rial dress for atonement; we must bear in mind that he 
is riding on the cock to Eternity. 

But now comes the hardest fact of all facts, manufac- 
tured by the most refined and most accomplished master 
of ceremonies for the information of the numerous readers 
of the " Baltimore Clipper." He states: "The next 
striking (to a stranger) features of their services are the 
plaintive chants ; they chant all their prayers, together 
with the repeated strokes upon their breast (and he acids 
to it his vulgar comment) like the Publican of old, have 
mercy upon me a miserable sinner. 

Let us seriously take into consideration, religious 
forms and ceremonies, as tokens of expression of religi- 
ous sentiment, of joy or sorrow, gladness or grief, where 
no nation or community can dictate to another what 
forms as means should be adopted to express sentiments 
by, and the Jews, like more civilized nations, having 
adopted the form as a token of sincerity, by laying the 
hand on the heart, he vulgarly styles it strokes. Not 
satisfied with thia, he malignantly stigmatizes the Jew 
in his religious sincerity, that he does it like the publi- 
can of old, who hypocritically used this national token 
of sincerity for the purpose of deception, and the modern 
publican, like the old, bawls out, " Have mercy upon me a 
miserable sinner ! " He concludes his bufTonian orgies by 



13 

showing that, according to his old grand-dame's old 
prayer-hook, the Jew gives himself no less than 614, say 
six hundred and fourteen strokes, and this estimate is 
rather helow the real number and doeth not include the 
forty save one stripes, which altogether, according to 
his own doctrine, the cock as a sacrifice for atonement, 
ought to have received, hut we see already that he is in 
need to ride on him to Eternity. 

The most accomplished clown proceeds to inform the 
numerous readers of the "Baltimore Clipper,'* that he re- 
grets not to be able to enter more fully in his job, and gives 
himself the appearance of a Hebrew Scholar, but if you 
examine him you will find that he . is ignorant of the 
Hebrew Alphabet, which is my firm opinion. 

And to crown it all, this two-legged animal gives a 
full specimen of his politeness and social decency, he has 
the brazen-faced impudence to give public notice and is- 
sue a kind of public invitation, to come and witness a cu- 
rious scene, designating the particular time when the 
most curious part, as he conceives, is to be seen, and it 
seems to me, that he has learned his manners in a 
chicken-coop, and some of its contents are sticking on 
him, and every step he takes shows its marks. 

Let us take into consideration a community composed 
of American citizens, holding a religious meeting to 
serve their Maker, as their conscience dictates, which is 
fully protected and secured by the noble institutions of 
our glorious ^Republican Union, and preserved and main- 
tained by the sovereign free will of the citizens of the 
United States. The meeting held on their, private pre- 
mises, the community as a body incorporated and char- 
tered by the sovereign state as property holders, the ju- 
risdiction of it within its limits belonging exclusively to 
them, if the doors should be opened and at what time 
they should be opened, they, exclusively and none else 
are the judges of it. To give public notice and issue 
public invitations, can only be done by their authorities 
and by none other. True, the Jews never close their 
doors to prevent their fellow-citizens from visiting them, 
and are always glad to see them, but it is by their own 
free will, and not by compulsion. Now supposing after 
the giving of public notice and the issuing of public in- 
vitation, like the one of the obscure scribler, the Jews,, 
as a class of American citizens would think proper to 
have the doors of their synagogues closed at the time he 



14 

designates, or even for the whole day, will he or anybody 
else dare to order them to open them ? Or did he intend to 
excite curiosity, to create a mob, to force the doors open 
by violence ? Let him put his nose to the ground he is 
treading upon, and smell that it is the ground of the 
United States of America. 

We see how attentive he is to our Christian fellow-citi- 
zens, that they should not get into trouble ; he tells 
them, every one who behaves with decorum is permitted 
to enter and witness the services. And why does he 
give them this information? Plainly, because he con- 
siders our Christian fellow-citizens so beastly stupid, 
that they would not know it, if he would not have in- 
formed them of it. 

But now comes the most delicious part of his enchant- 
ing acts. The heroic cock-rider takes the Christian la- 
dies up stairs and places them in the galleries, and orders 
the gentlemen down in the body of the Synagogue. As 
for the Jews, he seems to maintain that they have 
nothing to say to it, because he is the mounted cock- 
riding master of ceremonies to Eternity. 

Now, my dear fellow-citizens, that a strolling Mission- 
ary poulterer acts vagrant-like, there is nothing surpris- 
ing in it, because we must bear in mind, that it is the 
nature of the beast to act beastly, and that we cannot ex- 
pect of a hog more than a grunt. The Jews as a class of 
American citizens, in justice to themselves and justly re- 
specting the honorable station they are occupying amoag 
their fellow-citizens, will treat his conduct as it deserves, 
namely, with the most profound contempt. But the 
question is, has he no confederates, who, as our fellow- 
citizens, are aiding and abetting, nourishing and prompt- 
ing him in his wild gambols. Would he, who is a stran- 
ger, and who, as I am credibly informed, is not a citizen, 
could he have dared to offer to a class of American citi- 
zens at the very time of their religious devotions such 
beastly vulgar preparation of his, if some, who are at 
least to know better, would not have countenanced and 
encouraged him ? We know that there is a regular or- 
ganized herd of convert-hunters constantly at work at 
their trade. Is it not actually remarkable, that at any 
time there is a strong political excitement amongst us 
about political questions, a certain kind of animals be= 
longing to the Missionary traders, as foreign agents, are, 
su*<e to make their public appearance amongst us, an4 



15 

are trying some way or another to meddle with public 
opinion ? 

We must take notice that this publication is on the 
11th of October, at the time of the highest political ex- 
citement amongst us in reference to the late election. — 
Who are those countenancing and aiding this charming 
scribbler ? Some of the self-styled Temperance and open 
Bible men ! 

Now in regard to Temperance. I ask those cold water 
head folks, whether they will deny that the Jews are a 
sober people ? 

Those watery Philosophers assert that the tavern is 
the cause of intemperance, are the taverns not as acces- 
sible for the Jew as it is for the Christian ? Then accor- 
ding to the confession of those Philosophers, intemper- 
ance is peculiarly a Christian disease. The question is 
what is the true cause ? Are the Jews made of different 
materials or are they created by another G-od than Chris- 
tians are ? What is the reason then that the Jew (accor- 
ding to the confession of those amphibolous philosophers,) 
is at least better capable to restrain his mind and retain 
his capacity of self-government, then those who are 
under their care and tutorage. But what is the real 
cause ? It is that the Jew has the day of Atonement 
which by the self-preserving spirit it contains, duly im- 
presses upon his mind the restraint necessary for self-gov- 
ernment ; not merely for the moment, and not merely for 
the day, but for all the year round and for all his life time. 

To understand this, they must not go to some stupid 
pustule crammed with cock and hen, stripes and strokes, 
burial dress, &c, and the masterly piece of horsemanship 
in riding on the cock to Eternity. With such and those 
like him I have no dealings ; they must first go and take 
the trouble to learn social manners and social decency, 
to enable themselves to understand any thing reasonable 
and just. At present we see that they are absorbed in 
their missionary trade speculation, but you, dear reader, 
whether Jew or Christian, as my American fellow-citi- 
zens whom I know fully well that they actually love 
Truth and practice Justice, and that they worthy of them- 
selves, will not despise Truth and Justice, even if it comes 
from such an humble source as me, to you I most respect- 
fully bow, and beg leave to call your attention to my 
remarks, not for my sake but for the sake of Justice and 
Truth. 



16 

To ascertain the motives and intentions of national 
ideas of a people like the Jews, a nation the most an- 
cient, a people by their institutions and laws the most 
remarkable, and who cannot be seperated historically 
from the history of the human race and the progress of 
civilization ; to understand their motives and inten- 
tions, we must study the Ancient Jews as a nation on 
their own ground and on their own premises, according 
to their own institutions and laws, and according to their 
peculiar conception of social organization and its preser- 
vation ; and only then and not before can we presume to 
come to any just conclusion about it, and be able to draw 
some lessons for our own instruction, whether Jew or 
Christian, as fellow-citizens together in our present age, 
and under our present circumstances. 

This is the very case with the day of Atonement. We 
must enquire : how did the ancient Jews spend this day 
before they had houses of prayer, and not even any set 
of prayers ? We must not lose sight that the Tabernacle 
and not even the Temple can be considered as houses of 
prayer, and the law did not require on the day of atone- 
ment that the people should appear at the national sanc- 
tuary as on some of the other annual festivals. IS' ow is 
the question, how did they spend the day ? In what did 
they engage themselves on this religiously serious na- 
tional day ? Yes they did engage themselves on this seri- 
ous and solemn day in a subject truly serious and sol- 
emn, to be practised the whole year round ; namely the 
means to be used how to promote social welfare and hap- 
piness by social virtue, and securing the foundation of 
social virtue by the safety of female virtue, and to accom- 
plish all this' by quite natural means ; namely : by the 
preventative system, in not exposing to danger the 
daughter even of the poorest of the poor by the neglect 
of society. They could not judiciously select a better day 
for this solemn purpose than the day of Atonement and 
such like. Peculiarly the day of Atonement being a sol- 
emn religious fast day, the passions curbed, the mind se- 
rene, to take calmly into consideration how to accomplish 
this truly grand social object, practically to be carried 
out by every opportunity. It is my firm opinion that if 
honest temperance men who are sincere in their inten- 
tions, would study this, they would soon be able to discover 
the real source of intemperance, and this discovery would 
enable them to adopt means accordingly for its remedy. 



17 

As for the Jews, as long as they are Jews, they will 
remain a reflecting, sober people, and be able to take care 
of themselves ; they go by the Bible, but will take good 
care not to run crazy by it. The Bible tells historically 
about drunkards and drunkenness, and shows the cause, 
and the remedy also. The first drunkard on record is old 
Noah, and the cause we see is, because he drank the wine 
all himself and did not give a single drop to any one else, 
and the Bible teaches us to drink wine, but socially, and 
none will get too much. 

The next on record is, old Lot ; the cause: his wife 
being salty he became thirsty, and the worst of all, he 
had two grown-up marriageable daughters, and he ne- 
glected decently to provide them with husbands, the girls 
became desperate, and in their desperation made a beast 
of their father. This teaches us to take proper care of the 
girls, and provide them decently with husbands, and 
drink wine on their wedding day. And Christians must 
not forget that about 1820 years ago a certain Jew whom 
they cannot deny to be respectable, at a certain wedding, 
wine running short, he himself furnished them with it, 
and I am quite sure that he acted honestly, and did not 
mix even a single drop of cold or warm water in it. He 
actually furnished them with real good wine. 

The Jew understands the law, Lev. ch. X., v. 9. 10. 11. 
that it is intended to guard against the worst kind of in- 
temperance, namely religious intemperance. On the 
other hand the Jew finds Sen. ch. 14.. v. 18. : "And Mel- 
chizedek King of Salem brought forth bread and wine, and 
he was the priest of the most high God." Psalm, ch. 104. 
v. 15, "And wine that maketh glad the heart of man." 
Prov. ch. 31., v. 6. 7, " Give strong drink unto him that is 
ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy 
hearts, let him drink, and forget his poverty and remem- 
ber his misery no more." Keflecting on all this the Jew 
restrains his mind and remains capable of self-govern- 
ment, and let the true friend of temperance do the same, 
and he will surely accomplish his just intention. 

In regard to the open Bible question, let it be open for 
investigation and let us examine whether this book will 
be useful or hurtful to the minds of our youths when in- 
troduced in the Public Schools for their consideration, 
and this is the question ? Before I proceed with my re- 
marks, permit me to assure you in truth and candour, 
that my mind is entirelv pure from any kind of prejudice 

2* 



18 

against the creed and confession of any class of my fel- 
low-men, and I would be sorry indeed to permit my mind 
to conceive the barbarous thought, of impeaching the in- 
telligence and virtue of any one of my fellow-men, for 
the sake of his religious views, by which he conceives 
proper to make himself agreeable to his Maker, as long 
as he permits others to do the same according to their 
views guided by the same restriction, in letting others 
alone, because in matters between man and his Maker we 
must leave it to the man and his Maker, and the man 
can and must use his own means, and has no demand on 
others. 

Not so with such a most serious social affair between 
man and man, as the Public Schools, which is exclusive- 
ly for the cultivation of the mind of our youths, to learn 
to know their rights and their duties as members of so- 
ciety toward one another, and the means to accomplish 
it. We mustj also, in reference to the means to be em- 
ployed in the Public Schools for the cultivation of the 
mind of our youths, be guided by the same principle, and 
naturally every member of society has a right, and it is 
his duty, to show cause, if any, why he objects to some 
of the means employed there for this social object. And 
if it should so happen that there is a difference of opinion 
whether the objection is right or not, naturally ma- 
jority decides. Majority can only be justly admissible 
on the principle of fellow-citizenship, but not artificial or 
accidental majority by creed or confession, because in 
this case before us we can only meet as fellow-citizens, 
and in no other way. The reason must be obvious to 
every reflecting mind, because so soon we would permit 
majorities by creed and confession to decide general so- 
cial concerns, we will soon have to submit to creed and 
confession to decide all our social concerns. 

Let us now examine the open Bible, whether it will be 
useful or hurtful to the mind of our youths when used 
in our Public Schools for the general social purpose 
intended. 

In investigating the Bible as a book to be used in our 
Public Schools for the general social purpose, and every 
one to be taxed for its support, as a public institution, 
we must confine ourselves to the historical accounts the 
book contains, and examine, whether they are historical- 
ly true or not. With the different constructions of the 
Bible by the different creeds, as regards creed, we have 



19 

nothing to do with, this we are bound to leave to those 
who are concerned in the creed as their private concern, 
provided they are not guilty of introducing their private 
concern in the public Schools, which are decidedly a ge- 
neral social concern, and every one is justly taxed for its 
support as a publiic concern, and creed majorities are no 
majorities in this case. But even admitting that this is 
well provided for, to make the social concern safe and se- 
cure against the intrusion of private concern of creed, we 
have still to examine the Bible, whether or not it will 
serve the social purpose, and for which purpose only 
every member of society can justly be taxed for its 
support. 

We are quite aware that the cultivation of the mind of 
our youths, in regard to their rights and their duties as 
social duties, cannot be accomplished without a true 
sense of moral duty, but the very sense of social moral 
duty is quite independent of creed and confession, and 
therefore in using the Bible in our Public Schools for the 
moral instruction of their minds, we can only use it his- 
torically as lessons for moral instruction, and are bound 
to avoid all the different constructions of creed, seeing as 
we do already, that the creeds differ with one another in 
the construction of the same. 

But in introducing the Bible in our Public Schools for 
moral instruction by historical lessons, we must be very 
careful how we introduce it; because we must bear in 
mind that history is a very stubborn concern : it is by its 
very nature either historically true or not; we must 
therefore take particular care that the youth should have 
no reason for suspecting the historical truth of the Bible; 
because as soon as he should find ground for such suspi- 
cion, the book represented to him as historical truth, in- 
stead of impressing upon his mind by its historical les- 
sons the sense of moral duty, will be reversed, and demo- 
ralize and corrupt him. True, we can derive lessons for 
moral instruction even from mere fiction, but provided 
it is represented as such; but historical lesson must be 
historical fact. 

And we must not forget that our American youths, 
those Yankee bohoys, are just like the ohildren of Israel, 
true, sometimes a little childish, but what of all this ? 
As soon as it comes to anything manly, they, you may 
depend upon it, will show their manliness, and will not 
submit to any presumptious dictations. With good 



20 

sense and reason divine, they are approachable ; by the 
moral sense of right and duty, they can be guided to the 
highest moral perfection. 

Let us now examine the open Bible to be used in the 
Public Schools, where every one is taxed for its support, 
and every one entitled to its benefit of moral instruction 
of his children, whether there are not historical accounts 
in it, which the youth cannot reasonably admit to be his- 
torical fact, at least as construed by creed. 

As long as the Bible is used by any class of our fel- 
low-citizens, organized by creed agreeable to them, they 
exclusively are responsible, and we are bound to repose 
full confidence in them as our fellow-citizens, that they 
will take care, that society should have no social reason 
of complaint. Not so when the Bible is introduced in 
our Public Schools, where the restraint of creed is in a 
great measure restrained. The public is responsible for 
the result, and where, if any, differences of opinion 
should occur, accidental majority of creed cannot be ad- 
missible to decide it, because each creed is surely sover- 
eign and independent. In such a case, majority can only 
be admissible by the principle of confederation of sover- 
eignities, where all are equally represented, as the Union 
of our Sovereign States. Keligious creed being a natural 
reserved right, it must, by its very nature, be sovereign 
and independent, as nature itself, which is surely sover- 
eign, responsible exclusively to its elevated Author. 

Before I proceed to call your attention to historical ac- 
counts in the Bible of such description as I am alluding 
to, permit me solemnly to assure you, that it is not my 
intention to stigmatize the Bible, and though I may ap- 
pear to some very severe and sarcastic in the course of my 
remarks, be assured that it is only intended by me as an 
illustration, how the lively imagination of the youth will 
go to work with it, if we do not take proper care in which 
manner it is introduced to him for his consideration in 
the Public School, where we cannot permit that Cler- 
gymen of any creed should control his sense and reason. 

I will now begin with the first chapter of Matthew in 
connexion with the old Testament, where the historical 
account given in Matthew, part of it is historically given 
in the old Testament also, and show, that the youth in 
the Public School, will not take it as an historical fact, 
at least in the manner as it is introduced to him. 

The author of the book of Matthew gives us a historical 



21 

account, the generations of Jesus. He commences: 
Abraham begat Isaac, Isaac begat Jacob, &c, until Jo- 
seph ; after he has done with this, he shows us something 
very strange and very remarkable. He maintains that 
there are fourteen generations from Abraham to David, 
and fourteen generations from David to Jechonias, whom 
said author alleges to be the son of Josias, and fourteen 
generations from the carrying away into Babylon to Je- 
sus. Now the generations from Abraham to Jechonias 
are historically given in the old Testament, where 
their acts as historical characters, and the computation 
of time connected with those historical transactions, are 
also given. 

We have now the open Bible in the hands of our 
youths in the Public Schools ; they will naturally exam- 
ine first, whether the full historical statement in the old 
Testament agrees with the statement in the new, and 
then they will investigate, whether the statement in the 
the old Testament itself can reasonably be taken literal- 
ly as historical fact. The author of the book of Matthew 
presumes to tell us, that there are only fourteen genera- 
tions from David to Jechonias, and the old Testament, 
giving us the full historical account, states positively that 
there are eighteen generations, giving the account of the 
historical acts of each, and the computation of time. In 
Matthew it is said, Joram begat Ozias, and in the old Tes- 
tament we find Joram begat Ahaziah. Ahaziah begat 
Joash, Joash begat Amaziah, and Amaziah begat Ozias, 
From the commencement of the reign of Ahaziah until 
the commencement of Ozias' are not less than seventy 
seven years. Now here we have (I mean our youths in 
the Public Schools) three kings as historical characters, 
and seventy seven years of historical time denied exist- 
ence by the author of the book of Matthew. What will 
we, I mean our youth, find more ? Nothing less than that 
from the death of Joram until the birth of Ozias is sixty 
one years. Will our youth agree to it that a fellow in 
his grave already sixty one years, should presume to do 
such a thing ? I actually believe that our youths, whether 
Jew or Christian, know better. The American youth, 
as a smart little fellow, and smart they are ! will con- 
sider again that Ozias, like all decent folks, undoubtedly 
had a mother, and he will soon find in the old Testa- 
ment, that her name was Jecholiah, a highly respectable 
lady ! Will the youth not seriously take into considera- 



22 

tion, whether it is creditable for any decent woman to 
have any dealings with a fellow in his grave sixty-one 
years already? and must we not expect that our noble 
American youth, as a good republican, will justly ex- 
claim : " What f Have these monarchial fellows not fun 
enough in their lifetime, that they cannot rest even in 
the grave ?" 

Our American youth reading the old Testament, 2d 
Chron., ch. 21., v. 20, will find, that Joram was forty 
years old when he died, and in the next chapter, v. 2, 
he will find that his son Ahaziah was forty-two years 
old at the death of his father, but he will find 2nd 
Kings, ch. 8. v. 26, where it. is corrected by saying 22 
years instead of 42 ; but the correction of the genera- 
tions in Luke, ch. 3, makes it worse still ; because there 
the youth will find, that from Joseph up to David they 
are quite different customers, than those in Matthew, 
and I am sure, that our American youth will justly 
maintain, that one set of generation is quite enough 
for any decent man. 

Our youth will discover more in Matthew. It is as- 
serted that Josias begat Jechonias, and in the histori- 
cal account in the old Testament it is positively stated 
that it is not Josias but Jehoakim his son, who be- 
begat Jechonias. Will our youth admit that it is his- 
torically true, that Jehoakim permitted his father to 
meddle with it, or to charge such a good man as Jo- 
sias, with such a disgusting act ? In the old Testament, 
in Kings and Chron. he will find that Jehoiakim was 25 
years of age when he commenced his reign, and reigned 
11 years. His son, Jechonias, according to Kings, was 18 
years old when he commenced to reign, and reigned 3 
months; in Chron. that he was 8 years old when he 
commenced to reign, and reigned 3 months and 10 days. 
It is reasonable to suppose that Chron. is right, that 
Jechonias was a mere boy, because in Kings we see 
plainly, that he is led by his mother to the king of 
feabylon; and still the author of the book of Matthew 
makes such great fuss about the mere boy who reigned 
to the utmost 3 months and 10 days, and denies the 
very existence of his father, Jehoiakim who was a man 
of 25 years of age, when he commenced to reign, and 
reigned 11 years! 

Now even admitting that our American youths in the 
Public Schools, being as they actually are good natured 



23 

will try to find some excuse for the author of the book 
of Matthew, for his omission, because they will consider 
that there is a young widow in the case, the mother of 
Jechonias present : and the author of the book of Mat- 
thew, out of pure politeness to the lady, does not mention 
anything about her late husband; still must we bear in 
mind that our noble American youths are for strict hon- 
esty to the public; will they countenance that any one 
should attempt, even for the sake of the best looking 
lady, to pilfer the public, particularly our intelligent 
American public! and rob them of one of the most im- 
portant historical characters, and of eleven years of his- 
torical time? Indeed, I have a better opinion of our brave 
youths, and harbor not the least suspicion against their 
integrity and honor toward our public, and I am firmly 
of opinion tnat they will not countenance anything un- 
fair or unjust. 

Let us now take into consideration whether our youths 
in the Public Schools will admit that the account in the 
old testament of the fourteen generations from Abraham 
to David, should be taken literally as historical fact. 
They will have the open Bible and will naturally find 
therein : Naasson begat Salmon, Salmon begat Booz, Booz 
begat Obed, Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David. 
Our youths will then take into consideration the compu- 
tation of time ; he will then find that from the going out 
of Egypt until the death of David are 476 years, because 
1. Kings, ph. 6. v. 1. states, that the fourth year of the 
reign of Solomon was 480, from the coming out of Egypt. 
Eaasson, our youth will see in the books of Moses, died 
in the wildnerness ; admitting that our youth will give 
Naasson the benefit of all the forty years, and at the last 
moment he begat Salmon, will remain for Salmon, Booz, 
Obed, Jesse and David 436 years. Our youth will no- 
tice again, 1st Sam. ch. 22, y. 3., that Jesse was among 
the living, when his son David, according to the Bible, 
must have been about 28 years of age. The youth in the 
Public School will take his slate and deduct the remain- 
ing 42 years of David from 436, there will remain 394,' 
and this sum our youth will honestly divide between 
Salmon, Booz, Obed and Jesse, and each of those gen- 
tlemen will receive 98J years; and seeing, as he will, 
in the Bible, that Jesse did not conceive it to be his 
duty to close his eyes and die as soon as he begat his 
son David ; our youth will quite naturally come to the 



24 

oonclusion, that the other three gentlemen, Salmon, 
Booz and Obed have been of the same opinion, and I 
actually think that our youth will not be quite mis- 
taken in it, because there is no need for moral instruc- 
tion to take it literally as historical fact, that there 
have not been more generations than those named. 

We see now, kind reader, the great difficulty we have 
to contend with, to reconcile historical accounts in the 
old Testament by itself. But permit me now to call 
your attention to the New Testament, which makes it 
worse still. The author of the book of Matthew pre- 
sumes to tell us, that Salmon begat Booz of Rachab. 
What will our youth in our Public School think of it ? 
He in any reasonable way, cannot admit that Salmon 
was born before the crossing of the Jordan ; because fair 
dealing requires to give to Naasson, his father, all the 
forty years in the wilderness. Rachab by her occupa- 
tion, according to Joshua, ch. 2. v. 1., was already old 
enough to follow her trade ; will not our youth take 
into consideration, whether it is reasonable to suppose 
that a woman, like Rachab, actually had patience to 
wait until Salmon was old and big enough to be her 
husband ? — 

I am quite aware, that some Hebrew writers main- 
tain, that old General Joshua had something to do with 
this affair. But we must bear in mind, that a mili- 
tary commander-in-chief in time of war, exercising mar- 
tial law, cannot be questioned about his motives and 
intentions ; and I, as a Hebrew republican citizen sol- 
dier, will fight any man who dares to approach rudely 
and stigmatize the acts of my Hebrew republican citi- 
zen general. But in time of peace, under civil law, to 
attempt to force such young blood, such nice young gen- 
tleman as Salmon and who, by his family connections, is 
fully entitled to decent treatment, being the son of Naas- 
son, the prince of the tribe of Juda ; his father's sister 
Elisheba, a highly respectable lady, the wife of Aaron 
the high priest, the only brother of Moses, the high 
priest at the time being Eleazar the son of Aaron, being 
first cousin of this young gentleman Salmon : and for 
any one to dare to propose, that he shall take to his ten- 
der young heart old Bachab, who was at least old enough 
to be his mother ; and considering her conduct in her 
younger days, will our noble youths in our Public 
Schools, who belong to respectable families, approve 



25 

such a match ? For my own part, I decidedly oppose 
it, and. do hereby solemnly protest against it, because 
I consider it as a gross insult, offered to the firm and 
respectable house of Israel, to introduce such a new- 
fashioned piece of furniture in it. 

We have now the open Bible before us. Nobody can 
deny that there are different opinions how the Bible 
should be construed, and even differing, what is Bible 
and what is not, let us then settle first what is Bible, 
and then how to construe it. 

Can we, dare we, submit it to the decision of any 
creed, or of all of them together? Are we at liberty 
to do so ? We can only approach it purely in our 
capacity as fellow-citizens, and in no other way; if 
any difference of opinion should arise, involving the 
right of creeds and confessions, and majority should 
decide, then majority can only be admissible, accord- 
ing to the principle of confederation of sovereignities, 
because liberty of conscience being the most natural 
reserved right, must be as sovereign and independent 
as Nature itself, responsible exclusively to the most ele- 
vated Author of the Creation. 

We have before us not merely the open Bible, but the 
open Biblemen also. Let us now inquire whether they 
are sincere in their pretension of open Bible. They in- 
sist upon having the open Bible in our Public Schools, 
where we are all taxed for its support, and before we as 
citizens, have decided what Bible is and how to construe 
it. How will those open Bible men have the open Bible 
introduced in the public schools ? to be sure, as they ad- 
mit it to be, Bible, and as they peculiarly construe it, 
and this is the whole amount, the sum total, of their dis- 
cordant noise of open Bible. 

Now if these open Biblemen are actually sincere, I will 
propose something to test their sincerity. None can de- 
ny that the liberty of conscience of the Jews,, as a class 
of American citizens, is as sovereign and independent as 
the liberty of conscience of any other class, and each class 
is in duty bound to secure the mind of their youths in 
the conception of their ideas peculiar to themselves, and 
if they perceive that any attempt is made, to impress on 
the mind of their youths any idea not agreeable to the 
conception of the class, the class is bound, and nobody 
can deny them the right, to adopt means to oppose it. 
Now if the open Biblemen claim to have the right to in- 

3 



26 

the Bible, as they construe it, in the Public Schools, 
which will naturally impress on the minds of the youth 
the peculiar construction of the open Biblemen, the Jews 
as a class of citizens, have the same right, and it is their 
duty also, to introduce their construction of the Bible in 
the Public Schools to the full extent, the preservation 
of their construction of the same requires. I therefore 
propose to the open Biblemen, that the Jews introduce 
their construction of the Bible in the Public Schools, and 
the teachers shall be bound, to explain it to the youth 
accordingly. But not merely the old Testament, but the 
new Testament with the Jews commentary, as they con- 
strue it, and nobody can deny, that the old as well as the 
new Testament, in the Public Schools is just as much the 
property of the Jews, as it is of the Christians, because 
we are all taxed for it. If they agree let them say so, and 
I will furnish them a Jewish commentary on the new 
Testament, to be used in our Public Schools. I will 
show my reasons, why certain passages therein shall be 
construed as I represent, and not as they do. But I like 
to deal fairly, and therefore tell them before hand, that 
they shall take care, that some Christian communities 
do not tell their preachers, to march down from their 
pulpit. And they will find out sooner than they expect- 
ed, that the Jew understands the law of nature, and the 
nature of laws and regulations, how they operate on the 
mind, and he knows also how to use it. 

But, kind reader, by the discordant noise of open Bible 
the Public Schools, the cultivation of the mind of our 
noble youth is lost sight of. I most solemnly appeal to 
you, whether it is true that we have already done all we 
are to do, and all we are able to do for this most impor- 
tant and truly grand social object— nothing less, than 
the cultivation of the mind of our noble youth. Yes, 
our noble youth, into whose hands we must at last re- 
pose for safe-keeping the noble institutions of our com- 
mon country, resting on the intelligence and virtue of 
these who will succeed us. I repeat, have we done all 
we ought to do, and all we can for this most serious pur- 
pose, so that the only thing wanting is the open or close 
Bible. The cold Water and the open Biblemen are find- 
ing fault, that some are unfortunately unable to govern 
themselves, therefore these Watery philophers propose 
as a remedy for it Cold water and open Bible. And 
with all their philosophy they cannot see, that the ca- 



27 

• 

pacity of self-government can only be attained by a pro- 
per and sufficient cultivation of the mind. Permit me 
then to propose something, which seems to me in my 
humble judgment to answer said purpose far better. We 
jnust bear in mind that the great mass of our citizens 
cannot send their children to Colleges and Universities, 
consequently the only place, where they can send their 
children to, are the Public Schools. Let us now con- 
sider, how long are they able to let their children go 
there? It is until 14, 15, the utmost 16 years of age. 
Now from the age, we will say 16 until 21, the very age 
that requires particular care to give to his mind proper 
strength and vigor for self-government, he is neglected ! 
Is it any wonder that some of our youths unfortunately 
run into some immoderate act, and is there anything 
surprising, that even after 21, when he takes his station 
as a man, that he is used as a blind tool by some poli- 
tical speculator and speculating political religionist, to 
serve their private purpose? Why is it so ? It is because 
the cultivation of his mind was not continued to maturi- 
ty, and therefore' he remains a mere child all his life time. 
And why was the cultivation of his mind not continued ? 
It is not as some suppose, because his parent has to take 
him out to learn some trade ; he has still leisure time 
enough to continue the cultivation of his mind. But the 
real cause is, because we have not yet any establishment 
for the general purpose according to the wants and taste 
of our youth at such age, namely access to scientific 
knowledge and its application to mechanical arts. Na- 
turally it will require means, to establish such institu- 
tions, as the general purpose requires, and we will have 
to apply to our State and National Authorities, to pro- 
vide for it, and the difficulty will then be not as regards 
the amount but on constitutional grounds. This seems 
to me could be avoided by giving those institutions a 
direct national tendency. We must take in consideration 
that the two arms of national defence the army and the 
navy, require nearly all the arts and sciences to make it 
what it ought to be, because war being reduced to a 
science, the knowledge of it, is useful and necessary for 
the individual for his private use, and also for his fellow 
citizens in private life. National safety reposed in the 
great mass of our fellow citizens commonly called militia, 
they undoubtedly are justly entitled to the knowledge of 
it, experience showing that in reference to numbers re- 



28 
I 

quired for public service in time of war. Compulsatory 
laws not being necessary, seeing as we do that our fel- 
low citizens are ready and willing to bring up more then 
double the number required by public authority, the 
only system we can justly pursue, is the volunteer one, 
this being the case, let us then carry out this pure repub- 
lican system, and give scientific knowledge direct to the 
great mass of our noble youth, and it will be then that 
we can salely depend that the safe-keeeping of our noble 
institutions will be deposited in the hands of intelligent 
American pure republican minds, capable of self govern- 
ment by intelligence. 

But we must recollect that to be able to do, and to be 
willing to do, are two different things, intelligence with- 
out virtue, namely a true sense of moral duty, is a very 
dangerous thing, it is a two edged sword sometimes very 
destructive, we must then take in consideration, intelli- 
gence, the attainment of scientific knowledge and the 
practice of the same we must look to the male part of 
the community ; to secure social virtue, we must be very 
attentive to the female part ! From the male part we 
attain the means how to do it, and from the female the 
will to do it, because we must bear in mind that the im- 
pression our mind receives of anything socially right or 
wrong, to do, or not to do, is more produced by our rela- 
tion and connexion with the female then with the male. 
It is so from our infancy until old age. 

The first stage of society : " Mother and Child." It is 
our association with our mother which impress on our 
mind the idea of right or wrong in relation to the asso- 
ciation to her, to do or not to do. The next is a sister, 
brothers, as many as we may have, do not prompt or 
restrain our mind so much as one sister, it is the appro- 
ving smile of a good sister which prompts us in our 
action, and the slightest frown of hers which re- 
strains us. 

At the age of manhood, it is his intelligent virtuous 
wife who prompts or restrains his actions. He cheerily 
toils the whole day, and the very sweat of his brow gives 
( him new vigor and strength to new exertion, feeling as he 
does that one sweet smile of his chaste, intelligent wife 
will more then reward him for all his toil and trouble. 

In advanced age, as a father, he may have many sons, 
who will naturally cause him to reflect seriously ; but ali 
of them together will not impress on his mind so deeply 



29 

the necessity of moral duty than one darling child as a 
daughter, and the more she advances to the age of wo- 
manhood, the more he feels keenly how indispensable 
moral duty is for our own welfare and happiness. It is 
so in domestic private life, but by far more so we per- 
oeive it in social public life as a nation. 

To convince ourselves of the truth of it, we have only 
to try to ascertain the principle of social organization of 
any nation as moral agents, and we will soon find that 
we cannot come to any conclusion by investigating the 
male part ; we can only decide it by the moral state of 
the female part. 

For instance, we may find a nation socially organized 
as a body, apparently possessing moral strength by the 
principle of its organization, and still, if you examine 
them closely you will find that they are totally immoral 
and barbarous. 

We may find a nation who have erected the most splen- 
did buildings, constructed public works on the grandest 
scale for public utility, and still the means adopted by 
the party in power who ordered it, have been the most 
unjust and immoral toward those who performed the 
work. 

We may also find a nation far advanced in the fine 
arts, but if you examine the motive and intention of the 
design, you will find to your regret, that the noblest ge- 
nius have been prostituted to pamper the corrupted taste 
of the profligate and most abandoned. 

We may find a nation who apparently has arrived to a 
high degree of perfection in all the noble sciences, in- 
cluding the science of law for the good government of 
society, but if you investigate it, you will find that the 
great mass had no benefit of it ; and even the just appli- 
cation of law was confined to a mere few : the great 
mass have been outlawed by Law. 

But so soon as we find the female part morally correct, 
we can rest assured that the principle of their social or- 
ganization is a correct one, securing as we see it does the 
social source of moral duty, namely female moral purity. 

And hence we see the ancient Jews as a strictly moral 
people, have been very attentive to this truly most im- 
portant social affair, and two days in the year, one of 
them the solemn national day of Atonement, they serious- 
ly took it into consideration, and the very first step was, 
to take particular care of the daughter of the poor that 



30 

she should not be put to the Mush, because her father is 
unfortunately poor. Their action the whole year in re- 
gard to it was in accordance with it. See tract, JTjyfi 
last section, which speaks volumes. 

We must take particular notice of the national song, 
addressed by the female part to the male, concluding 
with the two last verses of Prov., " Favour is deceitful 
and beauty is vain ; but a woman that feareth the Lord, 
she shall be praised, give her of the fruit of her hands, 
and let her own works praise her in the gates." 

And we must take in consideration that the author of 
the book, as a moral instructor on the general principle 
of moral duty without any allusion to forms and ceremo- 
nies, after giving his views on different subjects in regard 
to the different stations we occupy as social beings. He 
draws up the sum total of his book in the last chapter, 
commencing with his Allegorical character named Lem- 
uel Melech ; the signification of the words applicable to 
the object in view, and in this form, the author explains 
to us his motive and true intention of the book altogether, 
and any one who comprehends the original Hebrew will 
know how to do justice to its real merit. 

The scene, the real picture of life presented by the au- 
thor to our minds eye, is this : an aged intelligent and 
virtuous matron addressing her only darling child, her 
son, who has arrived to the age of manhood, ready to 
take his station in society as a moral agent, communing 
together as mother and child, mother-like she takes her 
dear son in her arms and presses the dear object of all 
her motherly affections to her sincerely loving motherly 
heart, and emphatically exclaims : " Oh my dear beloved 
son ! Before we part, listen to the voice of your sincerely 
loving mother !" She gives utterance to her natural mo- 
therly feelings. Lifting up her eyes to the noble coun- 
tenance of her manly son in her arms, she proceeds with 
all the endearing expressions peculiar to the mother, be- 
cause it is the mother who peculiarly feels it : "What my 
son, and what the son of my womb, and what the son of 
my vows ! what is it, that I as your loving mother wish 
to impress on your mind my dear son is : give not thy 
strength &c. ;" concluding with the twenty-two last ver- 
ses as a poem, arranged in the original Hebrew alphabeti- 
cally, to give facility to our memory, to retain that social 
virtue is indispensable for social welfare and happiness, 
and any one who is acquainted with the peculiar strain of 



31 

the Hebrew language will find that the conclusion of the 
book of Proverbs, is one of the greatest master pieces 
of Antiquity, not of mere stone and mortar, but as a 
noble production of a powerful, pure, moral mind, bold 
in its design and masterly finished, using the natural 
principle of social organization for social preservation. 

We see now, kind reader, what we are in need of, and 
we must adopt means accordingly. We are in need of 
proper establishments for the cultivation of the mind of 
youth, from the time they leave the Public Schools until 
they are of age, to enable them to govern themselves by 
intelligence; for this purpose we have to apply to our 
public authorities to provide by law for it. For a prompt- 
ing of the mind to a sense of moral duty by a natural 
feeling of social virtue, we must at first secure female vir- 
tue, which is the source and foundation of social virtue ; 
but here, we cannot apply to public authority to provide 
by law, because law is only in extreme cases, and surely 
it is unfortunate enough for a female to apply to law, 
where the remedy is sometimes worse than the calamity. 
Here we must appeal to the intelligent public itself, and 
public authority can afterwards enact laws to carry out 
the just public will. 

We must ask ourselves, is the poor man's daughter, 
whose parents cannot provide her with the means to 
commence house-keeping with, and which embraces many 
of our hardworking fellow-citizens, is the poor man's 
daughter, we must ask ourselves, actually protected 
by us in our midst ? what is her protection ? the law ? 
Are we as moral beings not to blush at such an assertion ? 
We must also consider, that early attachments between 
young folks are sooner formed among the hardworking 
masses than among the rich. The former living close 
together within a small compass, the impression of first 
loVe operates more powerfully on the mind of the child 
of the poor man than of the rich, because knowing that 
she has nothing to expect from her parents, all her future 
hopes and prospects are confined to the man of her own 
selection. The young man has learned some trade, and 
is able and willing to work and provide for himself and 
his fair friend : he truly respects and sincerely loves her, 
and would be most happy to take her as his wife, but is 
afraid to pop the question, because neither of them have 
the means to commence house-keeping, and therein you 
will find the true source of social evil so disastrous to the 



32 

daughter of the hardworking and honest, but poor man. 
Many a brave man goes down broken hearted, with his 
grey hairs in sorrow to his grave, because his darling 
child, his daughter, is unhappy, and many a noble heart- 
ed brother is browbeat, because of the unfortunate situa- 
tion of his dear sister. This is a most serious social con- 
cern, which every moral mind ought to reflect upon. I 
do not consider it necessary, nor proper to expose, how 
all moral evils originate from it; still one thing I beg 
leave to observe, that all females are originally pure and 
virtuous, and society for its own sake is bound to take 
care of them. As moral beings we are bound to reflect, 
that it is nature and nature's Grod, who in his wisdom 
and goodness created us male and female for his wise 
ends, and it must be our solemn duty to assist one ano- 
ther, to carry out the intention of an allwise and kind 
Providence. 

And I am firmly of opinion, if public attention would 
be properly called to it, knowing as we do, that our fel- 
low citizens are always ready and willing to carry out 
every thing just and noble, that they will adopt means 
accordingly. We see already, that our fellow citizens, 
by the noble impulse of their free will, have formed asso- 
ciations for benevolent purposes ; have we any reason to 
doubt that they will also associate for this grand social 
object ? For my own part I cannot permit my mind to 
doubt it, and firmly believe that the very attempt of 
forming such associations will instantaneously have a 
beneficial effect on the public mind. The innocent 
daughter of the poor man, knowing that society is na- 
turally her friend, certain speculators will be restrained 
from making wrong proposals, because the young female 
will feel independent, and this will be the best means to 
promote true temperance, restraining wrong inclinations, 
and preventing acts of violence. Here is the source and 
here we must apply the remedy ! 

Those, kind reader, are actually my honest thoughts, 
and as such I most respectfully submit it to your consid- 
eration. But do not credit me with it, I merely repeat 
what my own ancient Jews said about it, and acted ac- 
cordingly. 

And though on a distant shore in ages past, the waves 
of time have since rolled over Nations and Empires, still 
ideas conceived and words uttered by intelligent vir- 
tuous beings, are among the living. 



33 

I beg leave to call your attention again, that the scrib- 
bling of L. C. N. did appear at the time of the highest 
political excitement on tke 11th of October last, and ap- 
peared in a paper which was the political organ of the 
open bible and cold water company. Without impeach- 
ing the intention of the editors, still the political party 
who is using the paper as its organ is responsible for its 
political designs, and the appearance of the scribbling 
with the circumstances and person connected, justifies 
the supposition that it was intended by the party to serve 
its political design, and shows that convert-hunters con- 
federated and combined with foreign agents, are med- 
dling with our republican political questions, to serve a 
foreign political purpose, as in truth, the convert-hunt- 
ing concern altogether is not an american production, 
but smuggled in by foreign agents who have their 
factories here, and receive orders from their masters 
abroad, how to transact their business here. This ex- 
plains why the same political party here is constantly 
hammering against our Catholic fellow-citizens, plainly 
because their master abroad has ordered them to do so. 

The question is, whether any reflecting American 
citizen can countenance such proceedings ; particularly 
under the present circumstances in regard to our foreign 
relations. We have on our continent Central America. 
We feel the necessity of being on true friendly relations 
and plainly speaking, even annexation with them. The 
inhabitants there are Catholics ! Can we reasonably sup- 
pose that this vulgar proceedings against Catholics here, 
will be of such great service to it ? And by whom is it 
instigated? Trace it to its source, and you will find, 
that it is foreign agency. 

Next we see a strong current of emigration from 
China, who are neither Jews nor Christians, they are a 
very useful and peaceable people; their naturalization 
will be opposed by convert-hunters. The question for 
the reflecting American citizen is, whether it is politi- 
cally right and morally just to admit the objections of 
the convert-hunter. We have a little further, the great 
empire of Japan. We as a great commercial people feel 
the necessity of being on friendly terms with all na- 
tions, what prevents us from having true friendly rela- 
tions with Japan ? It is their natural repugnance to the 
busy body of convert-hunters. 

But more seriously must we direct our attention to 
old Europe itself what is going on there now ? I think 



34 

it requires no explanation. I appeal to yon whether it 
is prudent to permit any religious contentions amongst 
us. Are we not liable by the influence of it, to be un- 
necessarily entangled in foreign quarrels ? One thing I 
beg leave to observe in reference to those foreign emis- 
saries who came here to christianize the Jews in our 
United States. 

The Jews of the United States know quite well 
enough what the political intention of Christianizing 
means, and understand the political meaning of a Christ- 
ianized Jew to be Bishop of Jerusalem for political pur- 
poses of another party. 

Now under the present circumstances there, is the 
ultimate point of contention actually where it is now, or 
is it not the Isthmus of Suez, near the old home of the 
Jews ? Now supposing those politicians who have been 
trying to use the Jewish nationality with Christian 
trimming, seeing it will not do, will try it now without 
trimming, the question then will be, what form of gov- 
ernment will those politicians try to introduce there. 
To be sure monarchical ! 

The question then will be for the citizens of the 
United States who, as a truly great commercial people 
are greatly concerned how this business should be set- 
tled, and who should be the manager. In plain words 
can the citizens of the United States permit monarchy to 
be introduced there ? Just try, kind reader, to reflect 
on it, and I am sure that you will soon find out the 
enormity of it. 

As for the Jews as a class of American Citizens, it k 
quite sufficient for them to know that Brother Jonathan 
is actually a brother : and they repose full confidence in 
the American Statesman that he will act accordingly, 
and the Jew will act as in duty bound as a citizen of the 
United States. 

Let us then as fellow-citizens, jointly make it ourise- 
rious study to be a worthy light to nations, and a just 
guide to the children of men to promote their welfare 
and happiness by the promotion of true intelligence and 
pure virtue. Which are the true sentiments of 
Most Eespectfully, 
Your fellow-citizen of the Hebrew Confession, 
JOSEPH SIMPSON. 

Baltimore, n*T nSftftb $ft vSdd fjft 
Corresponding December 2Qth, 1853. 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: Feb. 2005 

PreservationTechnologies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 

1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township, PA 16066 
(724)779-2111 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




013 783 642 7 41 









SH^g 






,^_>_ 

K^T 



^ 


-:> 


! Ks. 


1 -^ 


g£jtt 


_;~2 


--= 






5r* 


J 


iP8K 


2 


| 


i *Si 


■3?> 


" ' v> • i * 


""-'. -*-~^j 


irj 


s 


3 

- 


I 


55» 

m 






5§ 




F — 


% 


----i^ 5 


Bte 


^^> 


'ry - 




J> 


-. 


«£-i 


Sffl 


i?%»^£» -> 






J5s 

5t 


- 


3 


KQsg 




Is 



*^P 
-3^ 



8$g*" 


* ■-*<: c jg^' ; *> j*> 


^s*o* 


^^58fc~"'9te 


''fc* ' ri" ^^Tb.-r 


&t^*r- 




|*S 


IB* -=^^ 






SB. »i 


i^ 






>^:s* 


^ ^KSvf -^ 






B&\ '" 



